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Air pollution plunges in European cities amid coronavirus lockdown: Satellite data

Friday, 27 March 2020 8:21 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 29 March 2020 9:35 AM ]

A combination image shows the average nitrogen dioxide concentrations from air pollution across Italy in March, 2019 (up-left), and from March 14-25, 2020 (up- right), and across France in March, 2019 (down -left), and from March 14-25, 2020 (down- right) as mapped by the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, a reduction that the ESA says is due to the strict quarantine measures during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. (via Reuters)

Air pollution from nitrogen dioxide has fallen by an estimated 40 percent in three European cities, according to new satellite data released by the European Space Agency (ESA), coinciding with a widespread lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The space agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite mission on Friday released three composite images showing nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the period March 14-25 over France, Spain and Italy, compared to the monthly average of concentrations from 2019.

“This is a first level estimate; some of these values have gone down by about 40 percent of the normal value... so a very drastic decrease,” Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes, told Reuters via a video call.

7 in 10 coronavirus deaths reported in Europe: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that 70 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths have been reported in Europe as the flu-like pathogen continues to take its toll across the globe.

Researchers studying the impact of emissions from industry and transport on climate change and human health are scrambling to understand the possible implications of the coronavirus pandemic as economies slow, flights are disrupted and quarantines imposed.

“What you really see are the centers of this pollution… It is quite a good first level indicator of anthropogenic pollution coming from traffic and industry,” added Aschbacher.

Air pollution by gasoline, diesel engines likely to increase mortality from coronavirus: Experts

Experts have warned that air pollution by gasoline and diesel vehicles likely to increases mortality rate of coronavirus.

Nitrogen dioxide, a noxious gas emitted by cars, power plants and factories, is blamed for some respiratory and heart conditions.

Almost every city-dwelling European is exposed to pollution levels that exceed healthy levels, according to a 2019 report from European Environment Agency (EEA).

(Source: Reuters)

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